posted by John Elliott -

Richard Simmons was ordered to pay nearly $130,000 to the National Enquirer and Radar Online after the exercise guru sued the two media outlets for running a series of articles alleging he was transitioning to become a woman.

The defendants sought $220,000 in a motion filed in January that Simmons’ lawyers dubbed a “billing fiesta.”

Simmons sued the media outlets in Mayfor a series of articles that alleged the fitness guru was transitioning to become a woman. He claimed that, while he holds no personal ill-feelings toward the transgender community, the articles were false and defamatory to his character. Simmons’ lawyers argued that as a public figure, he has a legal right to “not be portrayed as someone he is not.”